3. The Godfather (1972) "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." Director: Francis Ford Coppola Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall & Diane Keaton Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor & Best Screenplay

Synopsis: The Godfather is as much a study in family dynamics as it is a snapshot of one of the five Sicilian crime families in New York during the 1940s. Sagely crime boss Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) becomes embroiled in an inter-Mafia conflict when he refuses to go along with the other crime families in selling drugs. When Don Vito suffers a near-fatal case of lead poisoning, his petulant eldest son and heir to the family business, Sonny (James Caan), thirsts for revenge. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), who has purposely been kept out of the mob, hatches a plan that will avenge his father’s shooting and forever bind him to his family’s business.

He said: A cinematic masterpiece.

She said: I couldn’t agree with you more.

He said: Really? That’s a shock. I thought you would be disturbed by all the violence, deception and infidelity.

She said: In this case, I felt all the vices helped in the character development. It was like a three-hour soap opera.

He said: Yeah, except it didn't suck. Author Mario Puzo said it best when he explained that The Godfather was really a movie about a family that just happened to be a mob family. While crime certainly plays a large part, Godfather truly thrives in examining the relationships that make a family tick.

She said: Yes, it was violent, which is usually a turnoff for me, but the family dynamics and evolution of the characters kept me mesmerized. Hey, even I’m intrigued by the mob and its complexity. Watching Michael Corleone getting sucked into the quicksand of his family business made my heart ache for Diane Keaton’s character.

He said: Here’s a hankie, drama queen. Anyway, I could go on for hundreds of pages about how incredible this film was. From Oscar-winner Marlon Brando mumbling with cotton-stuffed cheeks: "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse," to Oscar-worthy performances by Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton, Godfather delivers power through celluloid. Every scene, every character, every line smacked of brilliance. To wit: Don Vito's memorable death scene in the garden, where he frightens his grandson with an orange peel in his mouth, was completely ad-libbed by Marlon Brando.

She said: My final analysis: A film with classic actors and a superb storyline that makes three hours go by in a flash. I knew it was good when three hours was up, and I was asking for the sequel. It will be in my top 20, no doubt.

He said: Is there a better movie out there than The Godfather? If so, I haven’t seen it. The Godfather shoots its way into the #1 slot on my personal Top 100.